


Nightmares and Lullabies

by Fogfire



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 11:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16387106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fogfire/pseuds/Fogfire
Summary: Prompt: Thor - Nightmares





	Nightmares and Lullabies

“Did you have nightmares, when you were a kid?” You ask Thor one evening as you’re staring into the flames of a bonfire.

It’s almost dark now and a few stars are already visible from where you sit, perched onto a tree log.

He doesn’t answer right away and you’re not sure if he’s understood. He’s trying, he’s learning, but his home is not like yours.

“You know, when you’ve had too much sugar before bedtime or when there was thunder outside - okay, maybe thunder is not scary for you,” he laughs softly at that and you snuggle a little bit closer to him as you speak on, “But you had dreams that made no sense but you felt afraid nonetheless, or maybe they made sense, in a wicked kind of way. I remember that I once dreamed I was being chased by a giant chocolate cake that tried to eat me. I was terrified.”

Thor laughs again, a booming, loud laugh and you laugh with him, because the story makes everyone laugh. It’s one of your favorite.

“I’ve never dreamt of terrifying chocolate cake,” he tells you and you smile up at him, “But you had bad dreams?”

He nods slowly. “I don’t think any men in Asgard has ever confessed their childish nightmares before. You are very convincing.”

You laugh softly and peck his cheek. “If it helps, I’ll love you even more, now that you’ve confessed. What did your mother do, when you had a nightmare? Did she sing you lullabies, like mine did?”

He nods again. “It seems to be a common thing.”

“What are your lullabies about? Will you sing me one?”

“You are very curious,” he states with a smile, “I’ll sing you mine, if you sing me yours.”

And you sing, the two of you, soft words, breathy rhythm, as more and more stars appear above you. 

And as you fall asleep, Thor’s voice is still in your ear, the foreign but still so calming words in your mind.

The sky is dark and the hills are white

As the storm-king speeds from the north to-night,

And this is the song the storm-king sings,

As over the world his cloak he flings:

“Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;”

He rustles his wings and gruffly sings:

“Sleep, little one, sleep.”

Months pass.

There are days and nights you spend alone, worried for his safety, hoping for his return and there are nights where he’s close and your heart is at rest.

Months pass and you try to remember the song he’s sung for you, only ever able to piece together the first strophe of the asgardian lullaby.

And then he’s back again and you sleep, your back pressed against his chest and there’s noise outside, not yet the thunderous sounds of a rainstorm, but the screeching and howling of the wind in the trees.

And the noise carries on, slips into your dreams like a determined cat, and the peaceful dream you’ve had morphs into something dark, and gritty and scary, gripping your mind with its claws and all you feel is fear.

You wake to a voice calling your name, confusion and tears staining your cheeks.

Thor looks at you with worry in his eyes, but you’re unable to speak.

He cradles you close and sings instead and the familiar tune and his strong voice scare away the darkness and the fear that had been haunting you.

On yonder mountain-side a vine

Clings at the foot of a mother pine;

The tree bends over the trembling thing,

And only the vine can hear her sing:

“Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

What shall you fear when I am here?

Sleep, little one, sleep.

Years pass.

You sing lullabies to yourself, the one from your past to remember who you are and the one from asgard to remember Thor.

Years pass and even though he’s never quite with you and never quite gone, chasing something he doesn’t really talk about, there’s no denying the love you feel for this man. You could settle for a safe choice, for someone who comes home everyday, someone who is human, but, you never really consider choosing someone over him anyway.

Years pass and Thor loses his brother a second time, only to find him alive once again.

Years pass and Asgard falls and you find yourself with Thor but in a place that isn’t Asgard and it isn’t earth either, just something in between, with Thor as it’s king.

He’s wiser now but he has payed a prize for this wisdom.

When he kisses you, he kisses in a softer way, as if he has realized that pretty things can break.

You find him staring into the mirror, trying to catch what has changed, but unable to piece it together, because it’s more than losing an eye and cutting your hair.

You hear him whispering in his sleep, frantic and scared, waking when you touch him and denying that his dreams are dark and bitter and probably more realistic than he wants to let on.

But if he is stubborn, you are as well.

And when he falls asleep, you cradle his head in your lap and stroke his cheek like his mother used to do and you sing the words he used to hear, willing it all away.

The king may sing in his bitter flight,

The tree may croon to the vine to-night,

But the little snowflake at my breast

Liketh the song I sing the best,–

Sleep, sleep, little one, sleep;

Weary thou art, anext my heart

Sleep, little one, sleep.

And Thor sleeps, peacefully for once and that is all that matters for now.


End file.
